Drifting-valve mechanism for locomotive-engines.



I W. H. FOSTER.

D RIFTING VALVE MECHANISM FOR LOOOMOT IVE ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1913.

1,077,695. Pgitented Nov. 4, 1913.

2 sums-3mm 1.

E m E E I u) a? I N E3 W. H. FOSTER. -DRIFTING VALVE MECHANISM FOR LOGOMOTIVB ENGINE&

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1913. 1,077,695. Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

-2 SHBB'IQS'SHHEET 2.

-FIG. 3.-

UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcn.

WILLIAM H. FOSTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM O. TAYLOR, OF NORTH BLAINFIELD, JERSEY.

f DRIFTING-VALVE MECHANISM FOR LOCOMOTIVE-ENGINES.

1,077 ,695 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV, 4, 1913,

Application filed July 3, 1913. Serial No. 777,225. I

To all whom, it may concern: 1 ing, and the other end is provided with a 55 Be it known that I, \VILLIAM. H. Fos'rnn, leakage port, 2 so that any steam leaking of the borough of Bronx, in the city, county, by the piston valve heads, which carry suitand State of New York, have invented a cer l l l able aching rings, readily escapes to the at- 5'tai-n new and useful Improvement in Driftl mosp iere, and the opposite heads of the ing-Valve Mechanism for Locomotive-Enl valve are subject to atmospheric pressure. 60- gines, of which improvement, the following i In this way the valve is balanced at all times is a specification. 1 and offers little or no resistance to move- Hy invention relates to valve mechanism 1 ment Within its casing. v for controlling the admission of a small l The valve casing is preferably mounted on quantity of steam to the cylinders, or to the the locomotive frame, 8, and when the valve 65 valve chest, of a locomotive engine, when is in its normal closed position, that is with drifting, or running with the throttle closed, l the locomotive at rest or moving but. very for the purpose of maintaining sufficient I slowly, communication from inlet pipe, 3, to lubrication and preventing the formation of outlet pipe, 4, is cut off, but when the locca vacuum in the cylinders; the object of the motive is running at a speed above the pre 70 invention being to provide an improved determined minimum, the valve moves to its valve mechanism of simple constru'ction, open position, in which the cavity, 1, eswhichanay be readily applied, and which tablishcs communication from pipe, 3, to shall be governed by t 1e movement of the 10- pipe, 4, and a limited quantity of live. steam comotive to automatically and positively is permitted to flow to the engine cylinders, 75 close such admission when the locomotive as determined by the capacity of the small comes to a stop'or when the speed .is reports or passages. ducedbelow a certain low rate, and to au- For the purpose of operating the valve in tomatically open and permit a limited quanaccordance with my invention, any means tity of steam to flow to the cylinders when governed by the movement of the locomotive, 80 the locomotive is running at or above said which will automatically open the valve predeterminedminimum rate of speed. when running above a certain speed, and The improvement claimed is hereinafter close the same when the speed is reduced fully set forth. below a predetermined minimum, or when In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 the locomotive is at rest, may be employed. as is a. plan or top view of a portion of a loco- A preferred construction comprisesacentrifmotive frame and cylinders, showing one ugal governor such as shown in the draw- .for-m of my improvement in horizontal sec ings, and which may be mounted on a fixed tion; Fig. 2, a central section of my imshaft, 9,bolted by means of a bracket .10,to

proved governor and valve, upon a arger the frame, 8. Rotatably mounted upon said scale; Fig. 3,'a side elevation of one form shaft is the grooved pulley. 11. having rigid of driving means for the governor, the 1000- arms, 12, to which are pivoted the centrifun'iotivc axle being shown in transverse secgal weights, 13, coupled by links, 14, with 40 tion; and'l ig. 4, a transverse section of the the rotatable collar or sleeve, 15, on the governor shaft showinv the sliding collar. shaft, 9. Another collar, 16, is slidably 7 According to the construction shown in mounted on the shaft in contact with the the drawings, mv invention is exemplified in sleeve, 15, but is prevented from rotating by connection with a balanced .valve, 1, of the a key and keywav connection with the shaft. 45 piston type, having heads, 1, 1 and 1, A spring, 17, acting against a. nut. 18, at the with intermediate annular cavities, 1, and' end of the shaft, 9, holds the collar, 16, in 1", said valve operating in a casing, 2, havl contact with its sleeve, 15, and opposes the ing an inlet port communicating with apipe, outward movement of the centrifugal 3, leading from the boiler or source of live 1 weights, 13, suitable connections, such 50 steam supply, and an outlet port communil rods, 19, and plate, 20, being made with the eating with pipe, 4, leading to the valve stem, 5, of the piston valve for actuating the chests, 6, and cylinders, 7, of the locomo- \same by the centrifugal movement of the ,tive. The stem, 5, of the valve asses loosely weights. The rotatable head 'of the pulley,

through an opening in one en of the'cas 11, is mountedbetween a shoulder on the shaft, and a fixed collar, 21, and for the purpose of limiting the outward movement of the centrifugal weights in the open posi tion of the valve, stop lugs, 22,\and 23, may be provided on the arms, l2,and the weights, 13, respectively.

Any suitable driving connection may be employed for the rotatable head, 11, such for instance as a belt, 24, which may be formed of coiled wire and driven from a grooved split pulley, 25, mounted on an axle, 26, of the locomotive.

lVhen the locomotive is running with the throttle open, the governor is being rotated at such speed that the weights are thrown outward against the limiting stops by the centrifugal force, thereby moving the collars, 15 and 16, longitudinally upon the shaft, compressing the spring, 17, and actuating the balanced piston valve to its open position, in which the inlet pipe, 3, communicates, through the cavity, 1 with the outlet pipe, 4, thereby admitting a limited quantity of steam through said pipes to the engine valve chest and cylinders. The admission of this very small additional quantity of steam to the engine cylinders at the time that the throttle is open, is, of course, immaterial, and has no appreciable effect, as the amount of steam thus admitted is inconsequential compared to that admitted through the throttle valve. 1V hen, however, the throt le is closed and the locomotive continues running, or drifting as it is called, I the movement of the pistons in the engine cylinders tends to create a vacuum therein, and at such times the small quantity of steam admitted to the engine cylinder by means of my improvement is sufficient to prevent the formation of a vacuum, and the carbonization of the oil, and maintain an efficient lubrication in the cylinder.

\Vhen the locomotive comes to a stop, or when the speed is reduced below a predetermined minimum, such as from one half to one mile per hour, as determined by the adjustment of the spring, 17, this spring then overcomes the centrifugal force of the weights, moving the same inward, and the valve, 1, to its closed position, in which communication is cut off between the pipes, 3, and 4, which then communicate with the resp ctivc cavities, 1 and l in the valve. In this way the supply of the small quantity of steam through the balanced valve is automatically and positively cut off when the 10- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by

I same when the comotive comes to rest or when the speed is reduced below a certain minimum rate.

'lhe supply pipe, 3, may be connected, at any convcnieir. point, to the live steam space of the boiler.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A drifting valve mechanism for locomotive engines, comprising a valve for con trolling the' admission of a limited amount of steam to the engine cylinders, and means operated by the movement of the locomotive or governing said valve. 2. A drifting valve mechanism for locomotive engines, comprising a valve for controlling the admission of a limited amount of steam to the engine cylinders, and a speed governor operated by the movement of the locomotive for actuating said valve.

3. A drifting valve mechanism for locomotive engines, comprising a valve for controlling the admission of a limited amount of steam to the engine cylinders, and a centrifugal governor driven from an axle of the locomotive for opening and closing said valve.

4. A drifting valve mechanism for locomotive engines, comprising a .valve for controlling the admission of a limited amount of steam to the engine cylinders, and means driven by the running of the locomotive for opening said valve and adapted to close the speed is reduced below a certaln mlnimum rate.

5. In a drifting valve mechanism for 1000- motive engines, the combination of a balanced valve for controlling the admission of a limited amount of steam to the engine cylinders, and a centrifugal governor driven by the movement of thelocomotive for opening said valve and adjusted to close the same upon a reduction of speed below a certain minimum rate.

6. In a drifting valve mechanism for locomotive engines, the combination of a balancedpiston valve having its opposite heads subject to atmospheric pressure, and controlling the admission .of a limited amount of steam to the locomotive cylinders, and a speed governor device driven by the movement of the locomotive for operating said valve.

WILLIAM H. FOSTER. lVitnesses:

J. SNOWDEN BELL, THOMAS J. BYRNE.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. N 

